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March 22, 1955 J. J. HICKEY DEVICES FOR PLAYING WITH BALLS GAMES NORMALLY UTILIZING PLAYING CARDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1952 4 INI'ENTOR. JOHN J. H/C/(EY J. J. HICKEY DEVICES FOR PLAYING WITH BALLS GAMES NORMALLY UTILIZING PLAYING CARDS March 22, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1, 1952 INI'ENTOR. JO N J? H/CKEY A TTOR NE Y5 March 22, 1955 J J HlCKEY 2,704,669

DEVICES FOR PLAYING WITH BALLS GAMES NORMALLY UTILIZING PLAYING CARDS Filed Aug. 1, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F'g; 7 INVENTQR.

BYGhULuMw/L A TTORNE I5 United States Patent DEVICES FOR PLAYING WITH BALLS GAMES NORMALLY UTHJIZING PLAYING CARDS John J. Hickey, Belleville, N. J.

Application August 1, 1952, Serial No. 302,112

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-148) This invention relates to improvements in devices utilizing small balls instead of cards in the playing of games that customarily employ playing cards.

In applicants Patent No. 2,555,132, issued May 29, 1951, there is described a semi-rotatable drum designed to mix the balls and to segregate five from the mixed mass for display on a tray or concealment in box pockets or return to the drum. Subsequently, it was found that further improvements could be made by providing visibility for the ball performance, by making further changes in the counting trough and the display box, and eliminating some partitions or platforms, used in the issued patent which were found to cause jamming of the balls.

It is an object of the instant invention to disclose a device which provides visibility of machine and ball performance.

Another object is to disclose a device of the type described in which the operation has been simplified as compared with prior art construction.

A further object is to disclose a device of the type described in which a substantial saving in material is attained as compared with the prior art in order to bring the benefits of the smaller, light weight, compact, and visible device to a greater number.

It is also an object of the instant invention to disclose a device of the type described in which any tendency of the balls to jam has been minimized as compared with the prior art.

A further object is to disclose a device of the type described which can be readily cleaned.

Other objects of the instant invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the attainment of the aforesaid objectives, the improved playing device is constituted of a hollow drum semi-rotatable in a vertical plane. In the rim of the drum is an opening and in one end of the opening is a swingable allocating-dealing mechanism. Balls of distinctive colors and bearing suitable card game insignia are inserted into the drum through the opening. The allocating-dealing mechanism in the nadir position entraps five balls from the mixed mass while a swingable segment of the drum rim on the allocating-dealing mechanism closes the unobstructed portion of the opening in the rim. The allocating-dealing mechanism in the zenith position delivers the entrapped five balls to either the upper or lower deck of a swingable display-return box in accordance with the prearranged position thereof. A corrugated roller in the allocating-dealing mechanism prevents the balls from jamming when delivered to the swingable display-return box which has been especially designed to eliminate the box or elbow pockets of the prior art. In addition, the subject ball playing device has been further designed with a view to the elimination of the old art platforms and partitions which sometimes were found to cause jamming of the balls.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the subjoined drawings which exemplify a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 through show the first embodiment of the improved playing device constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the playing device in the up-deal position of the display-return box and the zenith position of the allocating-dealing mechanism;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along 22 of Figure 1;

member 30 (Fig. 2).

2,704,669 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 ice Figure 3 is an elevational view of the device shown in lIjigure 1 in the down-deal position of the display-return Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 3 but in the dump position of the display-return box; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 3 but with the allocating-dealing mechanism in the nadir position.

Figures 6, 7, and 8 show the second embodiment of the improved playing device and in which:

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the playing device with the allocating-dealing mechanism in the zenith position;

(Figure 7 is a sectional view along 7-7 of Figure 6; an

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 7 but with the allocating-dealing mechanism in the nadir position.

Referring now in greater detail to the first embodiment of the improved playing device shown in Figures 1-5 where like reference numerals indicate like parts, refer ence numeral 10 indicates the open frame, 11 the semi rotatable drum, 12 the allocating-dealing device, 13 the swingable display-return box, and 14 the balls.

The frame 10 is constituted of the rear standards 15 (Fig. 2) and 16 (Fig. 3), and the front standards 17 (Fig. 2) and 18 (Fig. 3). The rear and front standards 15 and 17 (Fig. 2) on one side of the frame are joined together at the top by the top member 58, and the rear and front standards 16 and 18 (Fig. 3) on the opposite side of the frame are joined together by the top member 57. The two sides of the frame are maintained in spaced parallel vertical arrangement by suitable cross members 19 and 20 transversely secured between the front standards 17 and 18, and the cross member 21 transversely secured between the rear standards 15 and 16, as illustrated. The open frame 10 may be made of transparent plastic material but, irrespective of the material, the construction illustrated and described will give substantial visibility of the manipulation of the balls 14 in the playing device.

The semi-rotatable drum 11 may also be made of transparent plastic material and is formed with the circular ends 22 and 23 (Fig. 1) held in spaced parallel arrangement by the rim 24. Any suitable means may be used for securing the peripheral edges of the ends and the rim together. In the rim is an opening extending for the full width thereof between the points 25 and 26 (Fig. 2). The drum is mounted so that its ends lie in a vertical plane at the back of the frame 10, that is, between the rear standards 15 and 16, and is maintained rotatable between the standards by the shaft 27 inserted through the ends 22 and 23 of the drum at the centers thereof. The drum may be keyed to the shaft 27 and the ends of the shaft made rotatable in the rear standards or the drum may be made rotatable on the shaft with the ends of the shaft fixed in the standards or both as desired.

The allocating-dealing mechanism 12 is removably inserted in one end of the opening between the points 25 and 26 in the rim 24 of the drum 11 and adjacent the point 25. The allocating-dealing mechanism 12 is constituted of the spaced parallel side members 28 and 29, the outer edges of which are rounded so as to be flush with the peripheries of the circular ends of the drum when inserted in one end of the opening. The side members 28 and 29 (Fig. 1) are held in spaced parallel arrangement at a distance suitable for insertion in the rim opening between the circular ends 22 and 23 by the inner channel The inner channel member 30 is divided into five ball channels by the spaced and similar separators 31, as most clearly seen in Figure 2. At the back of the inner channel member 30 is the anti-jamming corrugated roller 32 rotatably inserted by any suitable means, such as the shaft 33, between the side members 28 and 29 of the mechanism 12 and so spaced relative to the channel member 30 that the roller actually forms the rear of a receptacle into which five balls 14 roll when the mechanism 12 is in the nadir position (Fig. 5). The roller 32 is weighted by any suitable means 59. The top of the receptacle is formed by the cover member 34 (Figs.

2 and 3) held by any suitable means between the side members 28 and 29 of the mechanism 12 and spaced from and substantially parallel to the plane of the inner channel member 30 at a perpendicular distance greater than the diameter of any ball 14. The cover member 34 may be made of any suitable transparent or even opaque material. The allocating and dealing mechanism 12 is removably inserted in one end of the opening in the drum rim with the roller 32 adjacent the point 25 (Fig. 1) and with the base of the inner channel member 30, but not the separators 31, rearwardly extended under the roller 32 for the support of the inner end extremities thereof by the brackets 35 (Fig. 2) and 36 (Fig. 3) which are attached to the inner surfaces of the circular ends 22 and 23, respectively. The opposite or outer ends of the side members 28 and 29 of the allocating-dealing mechanism 12 are removably secured between the circular ends 22 and 23, respectively, of the drum on one side by the spring holder 37. One end of the spring holder 37 is fastened to the outer surface of the circular ends 22 by any known fastener 38 (Fig. 2). At the free end of the holder 37 is an inwardly directed pin 39 slidably inserted through the circular end 22 into an aligned opening (not shown) in the side member 28 of the mechanism 12. A second and similar spring holder (not shown) supports in a similar manner the opposite side member 29 of the mechanism 12.

At the front of the mechanism 12 and downwardly inclined from the outer end of the inner channel member 30 in the zenith position thereof is a swingable channel member 40. The member 40 is divided into five channels by the separators 41 (Fig. 1), the channels being aligned with the previously mentioned channels of the inner channel member 30 in the zenith position of the mechanism 12 by a stop 42 (Fig. 2) attached to the inner surface of the side member 28 of the mechanism 12. The outer end of the swingable channel member 40 is hingedly or swingably attached to the shaft 43 (Figs. 2 and 3) transversely secured between the side members 28 and 29. The member 40 is weighted adjacent the outer end by the weighted rod 44, one end of which is fastened to the bottom surface of the member 40 by any known fastener 45 (Fig. 2). Also hingedly or swingably secured to the shaft 43 is the drum rim segment 46 for closing the unobstructed portion of the opening in the drum rim in the nadir position of the mechanism (Fig. In the drum rim segment 46 is a slot (not shown) downwardly directed in the zenith position of the mechanism 12 and through which the weighted rod 44 is swingable, so that the movements of the rod and segment are independent.

The swingable display-return box 13 is constituted of the spaced side members 47 and 48 (Fig. 1) and the front member 49 attached by any known means along the front ends of the side members. The box 13 is divided into an upper and a lower compartment by a substantially horizontal upper deck 50 (Fig. 2) secured in a known manner between the aforementioned side and front members in a plane substantially at 90 to the planes of the side and front members and between the top and bottom edges thereof. Of course, the upper compartment has an open top and the inner ends of both the upper and lower compartments are open. The upper deck 50 is for the up-deal or display hands of the players, so that the top deck 50 is divided by the spaced separators 51, 52, 53, and 54 (Fig. 1) into the spaced parallel channels designated in Figure l by the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and designed to be aligned with the channels of the swingable channel member 40 and the inner channel member 30 when in the zenith position. Below and in spaced parallel arrangement with the upper deck 50 is a lower deck formed with the partial horizontal base member 55 (Flgs. l and 2) adjacent the inner end of the box 13 and which is fastened to the side members 47 and 48 thereof at the bottom. The partial base member 55, as well as the open space between the outer end thereof and the front member 49 are divided into five channels by the similar upper separators 56 (Fig. 2) secured to the bottom surface of the upper deck 50 and extending for the full length of the lower compartment between the open back thereof and the front member 49, and aligned with the separators 51, 52, 53, and 54. Secured between the downwardly directed bottom edges of the upper separators 56 and the top surface of the partial base member 55 and extending only from the inner end o th Partial base member to the outer end thereof are the similar lower separators 60 (Fig. 2). Of course, balls entering the channels of the lower compartment at the inner ends thereof would roll out of the box at the outer end of the partial base member 55 except for the flexible spring wires 73. One end of each of the wires is fastened to each of the lower separators 60 adjacent the inner end or to one of the side members (Fig. 1) with the free end of each wire outwardly directed adjacent the front member and then turned toward the opposite side of the channel to form runways for the balls for the full length of the lower compartment. Balls on the wire runways can readily be removed with the finger for inspection by pushing the free end of the spring wires back and then returned to the same runway in a similar manner.

The display-return box 13 is hingedly or swingably secured between the front standards 17 and 18 by the U- shaped wire member 61 which may pass under the box 13 for fastening at the bottom to the outer edge of the partial base member 55 by any suitable means (not shown). The upwardly directed end extremities of the U-shaped wire member 61 are turned outwardly over the top edges of the front standards 17 and 18 and are hingedly or swingably held in place thereon by the spring clamps 62 (Fig. 2) and 63 (Fig. 3), one end of each of which is fastened to the standard with the free or opposite end extended over the outwardly directed end extremity of the wire member 61 and adjustably held in place at the opposite end with the wing nut 64 threaded on the end of a screw held in the standard and slidably inserted through the free end of the clamp.

At the front of the display-return box 13 is the handle member 65, one end of which is secured to the front member 49 by an suitable fasteners 66 (Fig. 1). The opposite or free end of the handle member 65 protrudes beyond the side of the box and is placed under tension toward the front member 49 by the spring quality thereof or otherwise. At the top of the front standard 13 (Figs. 3 and 4) are the vertically spaced guides 67 and 68 so arranged that when the handle member 65 is moved into the guide 68 (Fig. 3), that is, the down-deal position, the inner end of the partial platform 55 of the lower deck will be aligned with the outer end of the swingable channel member 40 in the zenith position thereof to receive the balls 14 rolling by gravity down the channels of the member 40 and out of the drum. When the handle member 65 is moved into the guide 67 (display), the inner end of the upper deck (Fig. 2) will be aligned with the outer end of the swingable channel member 40 in the zenith position to receive the balls 14 in the up-deal or display position. When the handle member 65 is on top of the standard 18 (Fig. 4), the inner ends of both the upper deck 50 and the partial base member of the lower deck will be aligned with the unobstructed portion of the opening in the rim of the drum in the zenith position of the allocating-dealing mechanism 12. It will be noted in Figures 2, 3, and 4 that the inner ends of the upper separators 56 and lower separators are mitered, as illustrated, to permit movement of the display-return box even though situated close to the rim of the drum. It will also be noted in Figure 4 that a rearwardly and downwardly directed platform 69 is secured between the front standards 17 and 18 to aid in the return of the balls from the display-return box 13 to the drum when the handle member of the box is moved to the dump position and the allocating-dealing device 12 of the drum is in the zenith position. In the latter positions, the inner end of the platform 69 is aligned with the end of the unobstructed portion of the rim opening.

The balls 14, numbering sometimes 52 or 104, and approximately one inch in diameter, are preferably light weight, composed of thin shell hollow plastic, soft rubber, or cork to minimize noise arising from the rollings and impacts of the balls.

In operation:

Assume that the drum is empty, and that it is desired to insert the balls 14 in the drum. By rotating the drum with the handle member 70 (Fig. 1) until the stop 71 (Fig. 3), fastened to the outer surface of the circular end 23, is against the top member 57 of the frame 10, the upper and lower decks of the display-return box 13 will be aligned with the unobstructed portion of the rim operung under the allocating-dealing mechanism 12 and any balls placed on the upper deck or even placed or already in the channels of the lower deck will roll by gravity with the aid of the platform 69 through the unobstmcted portion of the rim opening into the drum. Of course, by lifting out the allocating-dealing device 12, the balls may be inserted through the opening into the drum when the opening is rotated to the zenith position, whereupon the device 12 can be readily reassembled in the drum opening. However, the primary purpose in making the mechanism 12 removable is for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the drum, especially where a transparent plastic drum is used. With the balls 14 inserted, the device 12 attached, and the handle member 65 of the box 13 moved to the dump position (Fig. 4), repeated semi-rotations of the drum limited in the zenith position of the mechanism 12 by the stop 71 against the top member 57 (Fig. 3) and in the nadir position by the stop 71 (Fig. 5) against the rear standard 16, the surging mass of balls therein are thoroughly mixed or shuttled. The mixing arises from contacts of the balls with the diverting baffle 72 (Fig. 2), the allocating-dealing mechanism 12, and from collisions, mounting up, settling down, and divergent rollings of the moving balls. Each upward rotation of the drum also rolls five balls from the mechanism 12 rapidly onto, for example, the upper deck 50 and then can be made to fall by gravity back into the drum, but if the semi-rotations of the drum are so rapid that the balls 14 are momentarily retained on the platform 69, it does not matter because the retained balls will pass through the unobstructed portion of the rim opening on the next upswing of the mechanism 12 to the zenith position. In the nadir position of the mechanism 12 (Fig. 5), the swingable channel member 40 will swing downwardly, as illustrated, by virtue of the weighted rod 44 and plow through the surging mass of balls, five of which will enter the channels of the inner channel member 30 and come to rest against the corrugated roller 32 and the cover member 34. The drum rim segment 46, of course, actuated by gravity, will move to close the unobstructed portion of the rim opening in the nadir position of the mechanism 12 (Fig. 5) to prevent the balls from rolling out of the drum. As the direction of semirotation of the drum is reversed, the five balls in the inner channel member will be entrapped by the swingable channel member 40 moved by the weighted rod 44 (Fig. 3) to a position of alignment with the channels of the inner channel member 30. When the stop 71 hits against the top member 57 of the frame 10, the five balls 14 will be catapulted out of the inner channel member 30 into the aligned channels of the swingable channel member 40 and, thence, out of the drum into the channels of the upper or lower deck of the box 13, according to the desire of the operator. The corrugated roller 32, forming the back against which the five balls 14 rest when entrapped, will rotate by virtue of the weight 59 against the balls to eifect accurate allocation and prevent jammmg.

The subject playing device affords a separate shufiling service without any addition to or change in the parts which are needed for the allocation service. Each upward semi-rotation of the drum will discharge one ball into each of the five numbered channels of the upper deck of the box 13 when the box is in the up-deal or display position. When the box is swung to the down-deal position, the discharge is one ball into each of the five numbered channels on the lower deck. One player may utilize channel No. 3 of the upper deck 50 and the correspondingly numbered channel of the lower deck. Thus, the subject playing device provides the customary face-up and face-down dealing for five players, the equivalent of the steps in card game stud poker. The playing group, under its ground rules, may enlarge this playing capacity of the machine by permitting two or more players to utilize the face-up balls in any one of the five channels in the upper deck and to receive face-down balls in designated successive order from the correspondingly numbered channels in the lower deck each of which has a capacity of at least five balls. Another example of the use of the subject playing device may be predicated on one of the many games of poker solitaire. The sole player may by five semi-rotations of the drum deal a square of twentyfive balls onto the upper deck 50 of the display-return box 13 when it is set in the up-deal or display position. Although the player has dealt only twenty-five balls,

actually there are twelve poker hands of five balls each, five hands in the numbered channels, five in the lettered rows A, B, C, D and E (Fig. 2), and two in the two diagonal rows. The player may be seeking four of a kind in any one hand as the objective.

In the second embodiment of the improved playing device shown in Figures 6-8, reference numeral indicates the open frame, 81 the semi-rotatable drum, 82 the allocating-dealing mechanism, 83 the swingable displayreturn box, and 84 the balls.

The frame 80, the semi-rotatable drum 81, the swingable display-return box 83, and the balls 84 are identical with corresponding parts of the first embodiment previously described.

The allocating-dealing device 82 is constituted of the spaced side members 85 and 86a held in spaced parallel arrangement between the circular ends of the drum 81 by the inner channel member 85a, the outer channel member 86, and the intermediate slidable channel member 87. The side members 85 and 86a are removably held in one end of the opening of the drum rim between the circular ends thereof in the same manner as the allocating-dealing device of the first embodiment already described.

The inner channel member 8511 is divided into five channels by the separators 88. At the back of the inner channel member is the weighted corrugated roller 89 rotatably inserted between the side members 85 and 86a and similar in all respects to the corrugated roller of the first embodiment.

The outer channel member 86 is secured between the side members 85 and 86a at the front and in spaced relationship with the inner channel member 85a, but substantially in the plane thereof when extended. The outer channel member 86 is divided by the separators 90 into five channels aligned with the channels of the inner channel member. Hingedly or swingably secured to the forward end of the outer channel member 86 and on the side opposite the channels is the drum rim segment 91 which closes the unobstructed portion of the drum rim opening when the allocating-dealing mechanism 82 is in the nadir position, as shown in Figure 8.

The intermediate slidable channel member 87 is constituted of the platform 92 divided into five channels by the separators 93 and designed to be aligned with the channels of the inner and outer channel members in the zenith position of the mechanism 82. The platform 92 is made slidable between the side members 85 and 86a by the slideways 94 and 95 fixed to the side members in planes substantially at 90 to the planes of the inner and outer channel members. The top of the receptacle thus far described is closed by any suitable cover member 96 secured between the side members 85 and 86a and spaced from the inner and outer channel members a perpendicular distance greater than the diameter of a ball 84.

Operation The operation of the allocating-dealing mechanism 82 will be apparent, that is, in the zenith position the intermediate slidable channel member 87 by gravity will be in the planes of the inner and outer channel members, as shown in Figure 7, when the mechanism 82 is rotated by the drum 81 to the zenith position. In the nadir position of the mechanism 82 (Fig. 8), the intermediate slidable channel member 87 by gravity will fall below the plane of the inner and outer channel members to admit five balls 84 to the inner channel member 85a against the anti-jamming roller 89. As the drum 81 is rotated to the zenith position, the slidable channel member 87 will confine the balls in the inner channel member for delivery to one of the platforms of the returndisplay box 83 or for return back into the drum as in the first embodiment.

While there is above disclosed but two embodiments of the improved playing device, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired therefore that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are stated therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for playing with balls games normally played with playing cards, the device comprising a substantially open frame, a hollow drum for the balls, the drum having a rim and ends perpendicular thereto and the rim having an opening formed therein, means for rotatably securing the drum at one end of the frame with the ends of the drum in a substantially vertical plane, an allocating-dealing mechanism removably disposed in the opening adjacentone end and with a portion of the opening unobstructed, said mechanism comprising at least one channel member, said channel member having at least one channel formed thereon for directing the balls out of the drum in the zenith position thereof, a weighted roller rotatably disposed adjacent the inner end of said channel member and transversely thereof, a cover member coacting with said channel member and said roller, means in said channel member for entrapping at least one ball in the channel against the cover member and roller in the nadir position, a display return box swingably disposed in the opposite end of the frame and in one position coacting with the outer end of the channel member to receive balls therefrom and in a second position with the unobstructed portion of the rim opening to dump balls therethrough into the drum when said mechanism is in the zenith position, and means on said channel member for closing the unobstructed portion of the opening when in the nadir position.

2. A device for playing with balls games normally played with playing cards according to claim 1 in which the allocating-dealing mechanism comprises side members removably disposed in one end of the opening and on opposite ends of the drum, an inner channel member disposed intermediate said side members adjacent the inner edges thereof, said inner channel member having at least one channel formed thereon, the said weighted roller being rotatably disposed intermediate said side members adjacent the inner end of said inner channel member and transversely thereof, a swingable channel member hingedly disposed intermediate the side members adjacent the outer ends thereof, said swingable channel member having formed thereon at least one channel, aligned with the channel of said inner channel member in the zenith position thereof, a rim segment hingedly disposed on the outer end of said swingable channel member on the side opposite the channel, having a longitudinal slot formed therein and substantially closing the unobstructed portion of the opening in the nadir position thereof, a weighted bar for said swingable channel member, means for securing one end of said weighted bar to the swingable channel member adjacent the hinged end thereof and on the side opposite the channel, the bar being swingable through the slot in said segment, and a cover member disposed intermediate said side members in outwardly spaced parallel arrangement with the channel of said inner and swingable channel members and outwardly spaced therefrom a perpendicular distance greater than the diameter of a ball.

3. A device for playing with balls games normally played with playing cards according to claim 1 in which the allocating-dealing mechanism comprises side members removably disposed in one end of the opening and on opposite ends of the drum, an inner channel member disposed intermediate said side members adjacent the inner edges thereof, said inner channel member having at least one channel formed thereon, the said weighted roller being rotatably disposed intermediate said side members adjacent the inner end of said inner channel member and transversely thereof, an outer channel member disposed intermediate said side members adjacent the outer ends thereof in the plane of the inner channel member when extended and in spaced relationship with said inner channel member, said outer channel member having formed thereon at least one channel aligned with the channel of said inner channel member, an intermediate channel member slidably disposed intermediate said side members and intermediate said inner and outer channel members and slidable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said inner and outer channel members, said intermediate channel member having formed thereon a channel aligned with the channel of said inner and outer channel members in the zenith position of said mechanism, a cover member disposed intermediate said side members in outwardly spaced parallel arrangement with the channel of said inner and outer channel members at a perpendicular distance greater than the diameter of a ball, and a rim segment swingably disposed on the outer end of said outer channel member on the side opposite the channel, said segment closing the unobstructed portion of the rim opening in the nadir position of said mechanism.

4. A device for playing with balls games normally played with playing cards according to claim 1 in which the display return box is double decked and comprises spaced parallel side members, a front member disposed intermediate the outer ends of said side members, an upper deck disposed intermediate the top and bottom edges of said side and front members and in a plane substantially perpendicular to the planes of said members, said upper deck having at least one channel formed thereon, a partial lower deck disposed intermediate the bottom edges of said side members adjacent the inner ends thereof and extended forwardly toward said front member, said partial lower deck having formed thereon at least one channel aligned with the channel of said upper deck, a flexible wire support for continuing the channel of the lower deck toward said front member, means for securing one end of said flexible wire support adjacent the inner end of said channel of the partial lower deck with the free end of said wire support extended toward said front member and forming a flexible runway for the balls, and means for selectively aligning the channels of said upper and partial lower decks with the outer end of the allocating-dealing mechanism and with the unobstructed portion of the rim opening in the zenith position of said allocating-dealing mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,555,132 Hickey May 29, 1951 

